Arts & Media27-1014.00Specialization

Special Effects Artists and Animators

Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

$99,060
Median Pay
4-6 years
Training
🟠
In Transition

This is a specialization of

Artists & Designers

Career Overview Video

AI Impact Assessment

AI Resilience Score

Score 2/6: high AI task exposure indicates this career is being transformed by AI

🟠In Transition

How we calculated this:

AI Exposure
High+0

53% of tasks can be accelerated by AI

Job Growth
Stable+1

+2% projected (2024-2034)

Human Advantage
Moderate+1

EPOCH score: 16/25

Total Score2/6
Methodology: v2.0 - GPTs are GPTs / BLS / EPOCH Additive ScoringUpdated: 2026-01-09

Key Responsibilities

  • Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
  • Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
  • Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
  • Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
  • Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
  • Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.

Education & Training

Typical Entry Education

Bachelor's degree

Time to Job Ready

4-6 years

Based on Job Zone 4. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.

Technology Skills

Adobe Creative Suite3D animation software (Maya, Blender, Cinema 4D)Motion graphics (After Effects)Video editingCompositing softwareMicrosoft OfficeVersion control

Key Abilities

Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionVisualizationNear VisionProblem SensitivityDeductive ReasoningVisual Color DiscriminationWritten ExpressionOriginality

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Compensation Details

$57,090
10th Percentile
$99,060
Median
$169,580
90th Percentile

Based on 29,940 employed workers

Also Known As

3D Animator (Three-Dimensional Animator)3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist)3D Designer (Three-dimensional Designer)3D Modeler (Three-Dimensional Modeler)3D Specialist (Three-Dimensional Specialist)Animation ArtistAnimation ProducerAnimatorAnime ArtistAnime Designer

Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics

O*NET Code: 27-1014.00